Co-Parenting Tracker Spreadsheet (Light + Dark)

Who has the kids on which day this month? Who paid for what, and who owes whom? When is the next handoff? This simple co-parenting tracker answers all three for two parents who share the care of 1 to 4 children. Light and dark versions are both included.

You fill in Setup once: your two names (or keep Parent A and Parent B), the children, how you split costs, and your custody schedule. Then you add a row when something happens: a cost, a payback, a holiday or a swap. The Calendar, the balance and every total fill themselves. Each thing is typed once. No locked cells.

WHAT YOU GET · 5 FILES

• Co-Parenting-Tracker.xlsx: your blank tracker (light), with common child expense categories already filled in
• Co-Parenting-Tracker-Dark.xlsx: the same blank file in dark mode
• Co-Parenting-Tracker-EXAMPLE.xlsx and Co-Parenting-Tracker-Dark-EXAMPLE.xlsx: the same file filled with a made-up family, so you can click around first
• Co-Parenting-Tracker-Quick-Start-Guide.pdf (4 pages): which file to open, the 3 steps, 7 simple rules with example rows, questions and answers, and your Google Sheets "Make a copy" links (light and dark)

9 TABS

• Start Here: three steps and short tips, with links to every tab
• Setup: your two names, the year and currency symbol, your default split; up to 4 children with an optional birthday; your custody pattern with its start date and who starts; the handoff time and place; optional child support per month and a balance carried over; expense categories with an optional split of their own
• Calendar: pick a month and see who has the children each day, A or B, in two colors, with handoff days and important dates marked. Nights with each parent this month, so far this year and for the whole year.
• Dashboard: pick a month and see what was spent, what each parent paid and their fair share, who owes whom, paybacks, child support paid vs expected, days with each parent and the next handoff; a 12-month chart of what each parent paid; a month-by-month record; costs by category and by child; the next handoffs, important dates and birthdays
• Expenses: one row per cost with date, child (or All), category, what, amount, who paid, an optional split for that row and a Receipt ✔. Each parent's share and what the other parent owes fill themselves. 1,000 rows ready.
• Payments: one row per payback, child support payment or other transfer between you. 500 rows ready.
• Overrides: one row per holiday, swap or vacation. It wins over the pattern on the Calendar. 300 rows ready.
• Important Dates: school events, doctor visits, activities, and who attends. 200 rows ready.

Plus a Lists tab that fills the drop-downs by itself (no need to touch).

6 CUSTODY PATTERNS

• Alternating weeks
• 2-2-3
• 2-2-5-5
• Every other weekend (Fri–Sun)
• 3-4-4-3
• Custom: type your own A and B letters, like AABBAAABBAABBB

Pick one, type the day it starts and who has the children that day. The pattern repeats by itself; holidays and swaps go in Overrides.

WHY IT'S SIMPLE

• Calm, neutral words: Parent A and Parent B until you type your names.
• Split costs your way: 50/50, 60/40 or any other split, per category or for a single cost.
• The balance is clear: the parent who paid is owed the other parent's share, and a payback moves it back to zero.
• Child support is tracked on its own, paid vs expected, and never mixed into shared costs.
• An override wins over the pattern. Two overrides for different parents on the same day show "?" so nothing is hidden.
• Each of you can keep your own copy, or you can share one Google Sheet. The choice is yours.
• Nothing is locked. No passwords, no macros. Click any grey cell to see its formula.
• No video needed. The Start Here tab and the 4-page guide cover everything.

LIGHT AND DARK

• Both versions are in this download, with the same tabs and the same formulas. Pick the one you like.
• Light: a soft cream page. Type in the white boxes with a thin border.
• Dark: every tab is dark, the chart too. Type in the boxes with a thin border. Made for the screen: printing a dark tab uses a lot of ink.
• In both, grey cells fill themselves.

FROM THE EXAMPLE FILE

Made-up numbers, an example only. Two parents and two children on a 2-2-3 schedule, from January to October 2026, with a Thanksgiving holiday and two summer vacations as overrides. They split most costs 50/50 and childcare 60/40, and even up every three months. In October, 944.00 was spent on the children and one parent owes the other 167.50 so far. Your numbers will be different.

HOW IT WORKS

1. After checkout, click the download button on your order confirmation page. The same download link is also in your order confirmation email.
2. Open the quick-start guide. Use a Google Sheets link to make your own copy (light or dark), or open a blank .xlsx in Excel.
3. Setup, about 10 minutes: your names, the children, your split and your custody pattern.
4. Add a row when something happens: a cost, a payback, a holiday or a swap.
5. Check the Calendar and the Dashboard any time: who has the children, who paid, who owes whom, what is coming up.

COMPATIBILITY

• Google Sheets: use the "Make a copy" links in the guide (a free Google account is needed)
• Excel 2016 or newer on Windows (tested in Excel 2021)
• On a Mac? Use the Google Sheets copy
• Set it up on a computer. On a phone or tablet, open your copy in the free Google Sheets app to add entries and check it on the go. Phone web browsers show a read-only view.
• Not for Apple Numbers.
• Any currency: pick or type your currency symbol. It's a label only; nothing is converted.
• Ready for 4 children, 1,000 costs, 500 payments, 300 overrides and 200 important dates. Copy the last row down for more.

GOOD TO KNOW

• Digital download. No physical item will be shipped.
• For personal use only: use it for your own family. You may gift one copy to one person. Please don't share, resell or redistribute the files or the Google Sheets links beyond that.
• Not legal advice. It does not replace your parenting plan or court order. It is a clear record you can export or print; it does not decide custody or work out child support.
• English only.
• Colors may look slightly different on different screens.
• ADHD-friendly by design: short steps, one place to type each thing, nothing hidden behind passwords.
• Designed with the help of AI tools, then checked by hand.
• Questions? Email us at lysansan24@gmail.com and we'll help.

MORE FROM OUR SHOP

Want a budget for your own home money too? See our Simple Budget Spreadsheet, in light or dark mode, or our Couples Budget if you share costs with a partner. Our Task & Project Tracker keeps school forms, appointments and to-dos in one list.